“I’ve been bouncing throughout the province for the past few weeks, and based on the environmental happenings I’ve been privy to, I’ll just say it – I’m about to get on my soapbox and ramble,” says Michael Short, host of Let’s Go Outdoors.

One such happening is a new project by Husky Oil in Prairie Creek, located approximately 45 minutes southwest of Rocky Mountain House.

“What’s going on here is, Husky Oil has decided to rip out a culvert with the intent to improve the passageways of the creek so fish can move upstream easier,” says Short.

“In a part of the stream that most people likely don’t know is there, this company decided – on their own, mind you, without anyone asking or telling them to take on the task – to work with organizations like Trout Unlimited Canada to bring in biologists to catalogue the kind of fish calling the stream home, and to best determine how to make the stream easier for thousands of fish to travel and thrive.”

On the flip side, not one hour east of Prairie Creek is a different story.

In a sector of land currently producing wheat, a large corporation has purchased the area with the intent to turn the site into a gravel and asphalt pit.

“On the surface, having this land morph into an area in which to mine gravel is no big deal,” says Short. But upon closer inspection, you’ll discover there are two conservation sites literally across the road from the proposed area, and within both of these sites is a bubbling pure spring water location.

“Assuming the gravel pit comes to fruition, what this potentially means for these small springs remains unclear. There is a chance the aquifer could be altered by the mining process. This could have a negative effect on these small streams that are critical fish rearing areas to the larger North Raven River,” says Short, adding that if the peculating ground water is affected, it can impact the water and ultimately the habitat of the entire conservation site.

While there’s talk of the purchasing company taking preventative measures to protect the land – they’ve publicized that they plan to avoid mining below the water table – Short says it’s not enough.

“It’s positive that they recognize the important connection of mining and the potential impact they may have on the water flow, but it should also be of great concern that the removal of hundreds of tons of gravel from this pit could be hugely problematic because no one knows if it could alter the ground water flow,” he says.

Currently, a decision on whether the county will allow the gravel pit implementation to proceed is ongoing and includes input from the public, Trout Unlimited Canada, the Alberta Conservation Association and Alberta Fish and Game Association.

“The big issue the county has to consider is this: we cannot balance our requirements for resources in exchange for maintaining good habitat. Is giving up this pristine area that brings in hundreds of anglers from around North America, and that provides homes for elk, moose, deer, birds and countless water fowl really worth losing for pavement production?”

]]>ArchivesThu, 01 Oct 2015 15:13:00 -0600More options for fishing, bird watching and enjoying the land due to recent donationshttps://letsgooutdoors.ca/blog-archives/item/142-more-options-for-fishing-bird-watching-and-enjoying-the-land-due-to-recent-donations
https://letsgooutdoors.ca/blog-archives/item/142-more-options-for-fishing-bird-watching-and-enjoying-the-land-due-to-recent-donations

It’s been 32 years since the Alberta Fish and Game Association introduced the Wildlife Trust Fund, and thanks to two significant donations made within the past few months, the program’s goal of minimizing the loss of critical habitat within the province continues to gain momentum.

“The first donation came from TransAlta, which gifted 64 acres of lakefront property on the south side of Lake Wabamun to the Wildlife Trust Fund,” says Michael Short, host of Let’s Go Outdoors.

With a portion of the land once used as a mine settling pond, the reclaimed area, dubbed the Beaver Creek Conservation Site, was cleared out, soil was tested and biologists were brought in to ensure that land-related issues wouldn’t arise in the future.

“What we see there now is a vibrant wetland community, home to 11 ecological communities. Each of these provide habitat to a host of critters, including mule deer, red fox, coyotes, beavers, muskrats, birds, fish, amphibians and more,” he says.

And the advantages don’t stop there. On top of myriad ecological benefits and a “no development” approach to caring for the land – the Alberta Fish and Game Association’s goal is to ensure donated land to the program transitions back to as natural a state as possible – it’s also open to the public for outdoor recreational day use.

“Visitors aren’t allowed to undertake specific activities like camp or build fires, but they are encouraged to access the site by foot to better protect the wildlife habitat in and around the area,” says Short.

The second notable donation came via Bernie Letourneau, a private donor who worked with the Alberta Conservation Association to transfer the land. One of the largest on provincial record, the 80-acre property located six kilometres south of Stony Plain along Highway 799 on Longhurst Lake, has been deemed ecologically significant by the Ecological Gifts Program and will be home to an incredible number of critters, both large and small.

“In the case of this particular donation, the native habitat supports a greater diversity of birds and water fowl because the land is centered on a sizeable lake. It wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for many wild animals, including moose, white-tail deer and woodpeckers to abound, and the same goes for a great variety of aquatic species.”

“The addition of these two sites brings the total number of conservation areas in the province to 756, and that’s fantastic any way you look at it,” says Short. While he adds that there’s still a long way to go in terms of protecting habitat for critters throughout Alberta, that the province offers a variety of protected areas for both humans and animals to enjoy is noteworthy.

“Whether you take in the sites with a picnic or to do some fishing, bird watching or even picking berries, having such a host of destinations that allow visitors to simply enjoy the land is pretty great.”

With the province’s Waterfowler Heritage Days fast approaching, there is an opportunity for youth hunters to be introduced to the world of waterfowl hunting. The first Saturday and Sunday in September eligible youth can hunt migratory game birds without a Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit or a Game Bird License.

Biologists attempt to minimize weed growth and ascertain types of fish currently live in Hasse Lake

Just a short, 30 minute drive west of Edmonton, Hasse Lake has all the makings of a great city escape. Canoeing, bird watching, hiking and family picnic spots are among this quiet water body’s offerings, as would be fishing were it not for the aggressive weed growth that’s choked out any fish species bigger than a minnow in recent years.

According to Michael Short, host of Let’s Go Outdoors, the 300 acre day use provincial park area within Parkland County has been on a steady decline for some time. The suspected cause of the pesky, increased weed population is foreign nutrients being added to the lake via various run-offs from neighbouring fields.

“In the past, the lake had a thriving population of perch, northern pike and trout. Biologists are now trying to determine the current make up of the water by setting traps to get a sense of the kinds of fish living there. As of now they haven’t found any large species, though they’ve concluded that three kinds of minnows currently inhabit it, as well as a huge population of birds, including pelicans, seagulls, loons and grebes,” he says.

While biologists are working closely with Parkland County, which is helping to inform local land owners on what they need to know to boost lake health – and in some cases, is even providing financial assistance to ensure fences are built to keep cattle from coming close to the lake – the Alberta Conservation Area (ACA) is also calling in the big guns to ensure Hasse Lake gets the attention it needs.

To that end, the ACA has called on the help of a leading expert to look at various aeration issues within Hasse Lake. “Just like a fish tank requires an air pump to oxygenate the water and keep fish healthy, lakes in compromised conditions require something similar,” says Short. “Dr. Ken Ashley from British Columbia has been brought in to help develop a plan to introduce oxygen on a much grander scale. By doing so, a large pump will be introduced to circulate the water in the lake, and ultimately boost its overall health.”

The good news: The fact that the lake has housed thousands of fish in the past adds incentive to the focus of getting it back in top form.

“There are pockets of aquatic plants still in the lake that once flourished and would take over once nutrients are balanced by the collaborative efforts of biologist and local farmers and residents,” says Short. “Once the plants are able to grow freely, they will naturally minimize the weeds currently creating much of the problem, which would allow the fish population to flourish.”

In a nutshell, Short says that in order for the lake to experience a recovery, a number of things have to take place. “Should everything come together and everyone involved work toward the common goal of repairing the lake, it will add another wonderful fishery to serve residents in and around the area for generations to come,” says Short.

This short video shows boat owners how to Clean, Drain and Dry their boats to prevent invasive species from hitching a ride to the next lake, river or pond. You can take these 3 simple steps to make sure you are not carrying any Zebra or Quagga mussels into our provincial waters. New legislation in Alberta requires all boat owners to have their boat inspected.

Call it a humanitarian move or a last-ditch effort to relocate fish once housed in an aquarium. Either way, the number of people dumping live, non-native fish species into Alberta’s lakes, ponds, rivers and streams is on the rise.

According to Michael Short, host of Let’s Go Outdoors, dumping aquarium contents is nothing new. “People often think it’s the kind thing to do. Little Johnny can’t take care of his fish anymore, so the family heads down to the local pond to let it swim free,” he says. “It seems innocent and good, but the issue is that, beyond the fact that the practice is illegal, foreign species can be reptilian, amphibious, and can do incredible damage to a waterway’s ecosystem.”

Another problem, Short says, is that some of these invasive species – he cites goldfish, Prussian carp, and some forms of cat fish as those most often found in public and private waterways – are put there purposely. “For whatever reason, there are people who think they know best in terms of what species should be in a pond. They decide they want to increase their fishing opportunities and perhaps want to control which fish are found in it,” he says. “Obviously there are many problems with that thought process, but one of the major issues is, some species overtake their new environment – such as Prussian carp – and in record time. Their introduction to a waterway always has serious repercussions for the rest of the ecosystem, because they take out other naturally occurring critters in the environment as their numbers increase.”

So what’s the fix? Never deposit invasive fish species into any waterway (toilets included), and when in doubt, call an Alberta Fish and Wildlife Officer to discuss proper disposal techniques. “There have been giant, 20-centimetre goldfish found in different areas of the province recently, and there’s evidence that these fish are breeding and surviving through the cold winters,” says Short. “This finding proves just how resilient invasive species are, and because they compete with native species for food, how potentially harmful they can be to an eco-system.”

To help enforce the practices above, Alberta has introduced a campaign called “Don’t Let it Loose!”, which warns against flushing live fish down the toilet, and includes a fine for up to $100,000 under the Alberta Fisheries Act to ensure compliance.

“With Alberta’s ongoing issues with invasive mussels and lampreys, having an overload of invasive fish could land us in the kind of trouble that Florida has,” says Short. “They have all kinds of issues with people putting alien species into the ocean and it’s to the point now that divers have to go in and try to take these species out because there aren’t any natural predators.”

The bottom line: “What people need to ask themselves is, ‘does what I’m about to put in the water normally live there?’ If the answer is no, then it shouldn’t be going in; it’s as simple as that.”

Let’s face it: choosing to rough it in the wilderness doesn’t rank high on many women’s list of Favourite Things To Do. But the Alberta Hunter Education Instructors’ Association (AHEIA) Outdoor Women’s Program is changing that, one female at a time.

Celebrating their 22nd anniversary, the ladies-only program will run from August 5th to 9th at its Alford Lake Conservation Centre for Excellence, where a maximum of 150 participants will have the opportunity to experience, explore and gain an understanding of the natural world with a wide range of hands-on programs.

“The initial concept behind these sessions was to help women gain confidence in getting outside,” says Michael Short, host of Let’s Go Outdoors. “Of course, everyone associates being in nature as a ‘guy’s thing’, but that’s far from the reality,” he says. “More and more, women are taking up getting into the wilderness, and not just with their family, but on their own or with a group of friends. They’re taking excursions on their own, many are hunting on their own, and part of the success in regard to those always increasing numbers is due to this program,” he says.

Some of the courses offered include archery, quading, moccasin making, fly fishing, firearm basics, field dressing, outdoor cooking, chainsaw basics, how to handle a canoe, how to back up a trailer, sourcing edible plants, arrow crafting, game calling 101 and many more. Each session runs approximately three hours long and women of all ages are invited to participate at their own speed and level of interest.

All courses are taught by certified instructors at the Alford Lake Conservation Centre for Excellence site, and each day is sectioned off to include a morning/nature power walk, breakfast, announcements, a session, lunch, announcements, another session, free time, dinner and evening events/sessions.

Short says one of the standouts is the wilderness camping component, which is broken into two parts. “First the participants are taught to build their own shelter, how to navigate the forest and how to perform basic first aid. Once they have these necessities under their belts, they go out as a group and apply the basics of survival they’ve learned in the woods,” he says. “They build their shelters, their own fires and end up spending the night in the bush. It’s amazing to see how these women, who come from all walks of life, embrace the process and end up loving something that is often out of their comfort zone.”

“I volunteered as an instructor for nine years and was always impressed by the participants of the program, which have included lawyers, police offers, students, housewives, teachers and ranchers from all over the province,” says Short. “The bottom line is that it’s perfect for anyone with a love of the outdoors.”

]]>ArchivesThu, 02 Jul 2015 14:51:00 -0600Looking to catch (and release) a lake sturgeon? Pack up your heavy tackle and head to the North Saskatchewan Riverhttps://letsgooutdoors.ca/blog-archives/item/138-looking-to-catch-and-release-a-lake-sturgeon-pack-up-your-heavy-tackle-and-head-to-the-north-saskatchewan-river
https://letsgooutdoors.ca/blog-archives/item/138-looking-to-catch-and-release-a-lake-sturgeon-pack-up-your-heavy-tackle-and-head-to-the-north-saskatchewan-river

The largest freshwater fish in Alberta, lake sturgeons have been around since the dinosaurs, can live upwards of 100 years, and are masters of obscurity. However, thanks to a small population that biologist’s credit to living so far north, the giant breed has become increasingly scarce, earning a threatened classification under Alberta’s Wildlife Act.

“Lake sturgeons are one of the biggest enigmas surrounding the North Saskatchewan River,” says Michael Short, host of Let’s Go Outdoors. “The catch-and-release law means they’re not as targeted as they’ve been in the past, but population estimates are low. Biologists believe the numbers fluctuate in the 1,000 range, which means, for the 500 kilometre stretch of the North Saskatchewan River, there are approximately two lake sturgeons per kilometre.”

With the potential to grow to over 100 pounds and between four and five feet long, one might assume spotting these enormous fish is a cinch. Not so. Lake sturgeon appear to be a cross between a shark, catfish and a torpedo, and are grayish on the top of the body and white along their belly. They have a shark-like tail, have rows of bony plates instead of scales, and are bottom feeders, which often makes catching them all the more challenging.

“Lake sturgeons are notoriously difficult to find, and they’re travellers. Radio telemetry indicates a fish tagged in Saskatchewan swam all the way west of Spruce Grove, logging over 900 kilometres,” Short says. Still, locating one isn’t impossible. “Anyone planning on fishing for lake sturgeon needs to be prepared as catching one is a two-person job. You’ll need heavy fishing gear – heavy lines, heavy rods, heavy nets – and should you catch one, ideally one person will have a large tarp already set up so the other person can place the fish on it for a photo.”

Short cautions that handling a large fish is not advised since attempts to lift and turn it can damage its internal organs. “The same approach is suggested when it comes to touching its eyes or gills; avoidance is best since unintentional damage could be inflicted.”

Game fishers looking to hook a sturgeon in the North Saskatchewan River have the best chance during summer months, and Short adds that fish and wildlife officers are on watch to ensure that once caught, fish go back into the water. (Alberta Fish and Wildlife is also available by phone to help anglers determine the approximate weight of a sturgeon based on its length.)

“What’s important to remember is that the North Saskatchewan River is the most northern range for this species of fish, and while places like Wisconsin log 200 lake sturgeon per mile, our waters house just two per kilometre. The bottom line is, this variety of fish is an endangered species and anglers need to treat the fish with a great deal of respect.”

The Alberta Conservation Association is changing the way hunters register for the Taber Pheasant Festival. As usual, registration for the fall event starts June 1 and carries through to June 5, but a new draw system will be in place providing an equal opportunity for hunters to get their dates and locations secured. I chat with ACA President and CEO Todd Zimmerling about the new format.

At 610 acres the Bunchberry project is the largest project that Nature Conservancy of Canada has worked on in the Edmonton area. In the midst of an area slated for dense development, the land will be a gem that is preserved in perpetuity.